


In The Heart; In The Blood

by bitofageek



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst and Feels, Assault, Canon Compliant, Everett Ross whump, Extended Scene, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mad Science, Panic Attacks, Recovery, Torture, description of torture, hurt Everett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-04-24 08:29:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14351751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitofageek/pseuds/bitofageek
Summary: Agent Ross goes through quite an internal shift as a result of his experiences after Korea.His time in Wakanda attracts unwanted attention (major Everett whump). His friend are there to help him recover.





	1. In The Heart

**_Korea:_ **

Walls exploding, adrenaline pumping, bullets flying, “Get down!”, falling, back on FIRE; can’t breathe; falling… falling…

BREATHE

 **_Wakanda_ ** :

_I'm not dead... I'm not dead?  Ow! How am I alive?!?_

_How am I able to move? I was shot in the back!_

_I know I was shot in the back. There's no bullet hole. HOW can there be no bullet hole?_

_How long have I been out?!  Weeks? (what the?!?)  (Ok Everett, don’t hyperventilate)_

_What the hell is going on?_

“All right, where am I ?!?”

Shuri explains.

*********

Everett Ross had a hell of a lot to process.

He “should” be pissed - the reality of Wakanda was a complete 180 from what the outside world saw. He'd bought the same story, basically been lied to by someone who he respected.

He _should_ be pissed. But he wasn't. Because honestly, from the Wakandan perspective, why WOULDN’T you keep under the colonizers’ radar. He smiled sardonically to himself - our record sucks.

Reality had turned on a dime for him. On the outside, he was doing his best to keep up with the upheaval that was going on with the appearance of Erik Killmonger. Heck, on the inside, upheaval was pretty much the word of the day, too. And how all this fit in with his job - that was to exhausting to even begin to think about. 

Suddenly, Ross felt his system starting to crash. The physical stress of being shot, speed healing, the shock of waking up in Wakanda, and a potential impending crisis was catching up with him all at once.  He knew Nakia had locked him in her office - he wasn’t thrilled about it but since he's not clueless - considering the situation - it made complete sense. At this point, he was too exhausted to care and collapsed on the couch. Amazing what a bullet in the spine and feeling like you're going to die does to a person's perspective.

Ross woke a few hours later, and finding himself still alone in the office, decided to do some exploring. Surprisingly he was able to get basic computer access - very limited but better than nothing. He finds he can access his medical file and as he works his way through it, he shudders to himself. He's no doctor but he knows what he felt, and when he sees the damage Shuri repaired, it's clear that without her care, he was a dead man. He decides at that moment he owns T'challa, Shuri and Wakanda a huge debt, and as long as it doesn't conflict with his existing responsibilities he'll do everything he can to repay it.

Ross doesn't have long to wait before he has the opportunity to put his commitment to the test. As sunset approaches, Nakia arrives and he learns that the entire situation has gone to hell. It's non-stop WTF emotional turmoil. T’Challa is dead - a man he respected and considered a friend, who was there for him, the man responsible for saving his life is gone. His life, and the lives of T'Challa's family are in danger, and there aren't a lot of options leading to survival.

Nakia and Ross find their way out of the capital city and reunite with Shuri and Queen Ramonda. The Queen is surprised and not exactly pleased by Ross's presence, but doesn’t deny him a place with them as they escape toward Jabari land. She soon realizes his connection to her husband and son. As they walk, Ross tells her the story of their meeting; how they worked together, how T’Challa saved his life. He’s glad he’s able to share memories of her son with her.

They’re taken to M'Baku, leader of the Jabari; Ross doesn’t know quite what to make of M’Bako. Physically imposing, dedicated to his people, suspicious of outsiders, a major smart ass, and effective at using bluster to camouflage his quick mind - he's a bit of a wild card. When M’Baku turns down the heart-shaped herb and leads them to T'challa, Ross figures as long has he’s not a threat to the royal family, he’s good with that.  At this point, they're all in this together to save Wakanda.

The party makes its way back to the city, T’Challa to confront Erik, and Shuri, Nakia and Ross to the lab. Ross gets a bit of a surprise by being tasked with stopping the vibranium shipments from leaving Wakanda...  by remote piloting a Wakandan ship...that he’s never flown before.  "This is going to be interesting" he thinks to himself.

“Oh-kay.... No problem. Just like riding a bicycle (I hope). Here goes." Ross appreciated the confidence Shuri and Nakia showed in his abilities. Moments later, a cockpit materialized in front of him. "WOW!" he thought to himself. Then laughed at himself - how many times is that word going to cross my mind? But seriously, wow!  This is amazing!” 

The feeling of being IN the ship without _actually_ being in the ship was initially surprising, but soon flying the craft is second nature. Ross pretty much forgets he’s in the lab… until the third mini-fighter shows up firing at the window directly in front of him.  “Damn” - from amazing to terrifying in seconds”.  The computer feeds him updates of the lab’s decreasing shielding; “Glass integrity at 50%." Shuri hears the update as well and yells at him through the communicator, "Ross, you have to get out of there, now!”

Sorry Shuri, Ross thinks to himself, I made a promise.

"Put me back in".

********

Ross listens to T’Challa’s speech to the UN, remembering the events of the last few weeks - he smiles at the inner monologue running through his head as he takes in the reaction of the assembly. Amazingly he still has his job. Wasn't sure that was going to happen after the debriefing, but truth was, he didn't learn much of interest about Wakanda during his unintentional visit.  Wakanda isn't a threat, (in his experience anyway) and they're opening relations to the world so what he knows, the world will know.

Ross guesses people with his particular skill set and relationships with the Avengers aren't exactly easy to find so he has some job security. Some people are pissed, and some give him the side eye. But he figures it is what it is - he can take it. As long as the job doesn't conflict with his promise to the Wakandan royal family, it's all good.

This is going to be interesting.


	2. In The Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ross is back at work and life is as normal as it can get (considering). But his experience in Wakanda has made him attractive to the wrong people.

***** (about a month later)

Ross heads towards his boss’s office, a grim and moderately irritated expression on his face. He’s being followed, watched ... or both. He doesn't have proof, but he has years of experience and he knows it's there. After the fiasco with Helmut Zemo, he's taking no chances with this kind of thing. “I’m informing the agency of my suspicions” he thinks to himself “and I’ll find a way to let T'Challa know what I think is going on”. Things have been hopping at the agency since T'Challa made his announcement to the UN and Wakanda revealed itself to the world. It’s Friday evening and he's ready for a break.   He’ll be heading home soon with no big plans for the weekend - just dinner, watching the game on TV, and touching base with Okoye in Wakanda around midnight.

After a reasonably productive meeting with his boss and only moderately hideous traffic to deal with, Everett pulled into the parking garage of his apartment complex and headed into the elevator. He'd been staying alert and, at least today, he’d seen no signs of being followed. He held the elevator for a young woman carrying an assortment of packages - he’d noticed her walking towards the elevator as he approached it from the opposite direction. She scuttled into the elevator with a smile of gratitude on her face. "Thanks!" She said, sounding a bit out of breath, "3rd floor please".

"Sure", Everett replied as he punched the button for his floor and for 3. The woman leaned her bundles on the rail at the back of the elevator, shifting to get her keys from her purse. A couple of smaller packages shifted and fell to the floor and she swore, turning towards him. Being a gentleman, Everett bent down to pick them up - and felt the push of a pressure syringe against his neck. He stood, reaching for his weapon, or trying to. His arm wasn't listening to his brain any more. The woman was ignoring him, picking up her packages as if he wasn't even the there. The elevator doors opened, and two guys in service coveralls strode in, took him by the arms and half-carried him off the elevator as if they were helping a buddy who’d had a few too many after work, with the woman following behind. They walked down the hall and disappear into the stairwell. Moments later, a service van left the parking garage and sped away.

*****

Okoye checked the time. 7:45 am. No call from the American - he wasn't one to not follow through. Agent Ross might not be her favorite person, but he gave his full support to her King and she respected that. Her instincts were setting off alarms in her brain, but a "feeling" was not enough to contact T'Challa. "Shuri, has Agent Ross contacted you this morning?"

"No, Okoye. What's the problem?"

"I don't know if there is one. But he indicated he would be contacting me at approximately 7:00 am. He is late".

"He is never late," Shuri sounded as perturbed as Okoye. "I'll see what I can find out on my end." She headed to her lab. Once there she searched her database, ran a scan of the security footage of Everett's building (which she’d hacked into), and found nothing out of the ordinary. She reported the same to Okoye.

"I have found nothing. And still no word. We need to let T'Challa know." Shuri and Okoye used their kimoyo beads to contact their king.

"I have heard nothing from him either," T'Challa reported. "I am concerned - the last time I spoke with him, Ross had a feeling that something was not right. His instincts are good .  I do NOT like this".

"Brother, I would like to investigate directly. Send me with two of the Dora. We will check his home. He may just be ill, or some insignificant problem. But I don't want to take that risk - this does not feel right. He is too much of a target to some." Shuri asked.

"I agree. Contact me immediately with what you find."

"Yes, my King" Shuri tried to sound light hearted, but she couldn't quite carry it off.

*******

Ross's first coherent thought after clawing his way back to consciousness was "why did I have to be right?"  Followed by the obvious "where, why and what the hell?!".  The more clear his thoughts became, the more pissed off he became. He was a damn agent - he could kick himself for falling for such a basic distraction gambit. He hadn’t gotten a buzz from the woman’s behavior at all.

What could these people, whoever they were, want from him? He wasn’t currently working on any sensitive projects. Sure, he had a relationship to with the Wakandan Royal Family, but he didn’t see himself as much of a “key player”. He hadn't spent a huge amount of time in Wakanda. This didn’t make sense.

And how obnoxious were they going to be to try to get whatever they were looking for from him? He had to admit he had mixed feelings about how quickly he wanted to find out... he didn't have to wait long. Because when he finally became completely aware of his surroundings, he realized he was strapped to a medical gurney. There was no way in hell this was not going to be bad.

*******

"He's not here. His car is in the parking garage, and there is no sign of damage or struggle. and it looks like he never made it to his apartment". Shuri was deeply agitated as she reported.  “Something is very wrong".

"There is limited internal security footage for the building - not every floor; Ross’s floor is covered, but 2, 3 and 7 do not have a feed". Okoye reported. "I've obtained all of the footage for the garage and available internal footage for the time period from 5:00pm through your arrival. We will concentrate on the hours between his arrival from work and his expected call time. Continue your search of the building and contact us with your findings. We will do the same."

Shuri nodded and got to work.

******

Everett kept as calm as possible so he could deal with whatever or whoever came through the door of his cell. There wasn't much else he _could_ do. He'd been searched. His weapons were gone, holster included - even his belt. Heavy leather straps held his arms, legs and chest to the bed. Whoever brought him to this place must have been monitoring him because he didn't have to wait long for someone to show up.

A man in a lab coat entered, with a couple of lackeys following behind. Everett didn't waste time - just asked point blank "Who the hell are you and why am I here?"

"Direct, I like that. Saves time. I'll get to the point as well. I'm a scientist, obviously. My associates and l are investigating vibranium's effect on human tissue. We've of course heard of Black Panther's accelerated healing abilities. To the best of our knowledge, this is not as a result of mutation such as with the mutants Wolverine or Deadpool. Obviously we were not going to be able to obtain the Black Panther himself, so we chose the next best thing."  

Everett was stunned at the bizarre turn in the conversation. “Excuse me?, what are you talking about? I had an injury healed, I don’t have ‘healing abilities’!”  He'd had surgery for goodness sake and was in Wakanda for less than a week. This made no sense to him.

"You recall the physical exam you had upon your return to America?” the scientist asked nonchalantly. “We were able to obtain a sample of your blood. We had to verify the presence of a measurable amount of vibranium in your bloodstream prior to executing your retrieval, which we did. Upon your arrival here, we took advantage of the time you were unconscious to run a number of scans to get a comprehensive baseline. We've been waiting till the anesthesia was out of your system before we begin testing so as not to affect the results." He smiled. It was not a pleasant smile.

Everett swallowed down the fear that rose up from the pit of his stomach. He was screwed.  No one knew where he was or even that he was missing. He didn't know what time it was, but he was pretty sure he hasn't been unconscious that long.  Okoye and Shuri would think he was just late when the expected call didn't come through. They had no reason to expect foul play immediately. The Agency wouldn’t be aware of any problem for days. A feeling of dread sank in as the mystery scientist spoke again. “We’re very excited about potential findings.”

That was the last time anyone spoke to him directly. They weren't interested in anything he knew. They were only interested in how his body reacted. They were meticulous and systematic. They experimented with lacerations first: starting small and gradually increasing the length and depth of the cuts - and taking measurements, for fucks sake! He was a bit shocked and freaked out - from what he overheard, the smaller cuts actually showed a noticeable healing response (hooray?). But once they got going with the deeper lacerations he lost the ability to completely focus on the conversations going on around him.

Finally they stopped, cleaned him up, even applied some bandages, then left the room. He actually had a moment of hope that they found what they were looking for. Until they came back with new equipment. And started breaking his fingers.  

*******

"Shuri, we found something!" Shuri paused in her search of the building to listen to Okoye. "The security feed shows a woman in the parking garage who entered the elevator immediately following Ross. She did not leave the building. Less than 15 minutes afterwards, a van exits the parking garage. We were able to magnify the footage enough to see her in this van, along with two men.  The vehicle is large enough to easily fit another person, especially if they were incapacitated".

"Can we track them?" Shuri asked. "If there are cameras in the loading bay area, I'll hack into them directly". Using her kimoyo bead tech, Shuri pulled up the information for the time period Okoye confirmed and her heart jumped to her throat. She saw Everett is being loaded into the back of a van, the woman following and covering his unconscious body with a tarp and laundry while the men climb into the drivers compartment. Shuri described the scene to Okoye as she forwarded her the information. “Zoom in on the license plate and start tracking their movements through the city if you can. I'll do what I can from this end. And let my brother know. We will need him here. This is very bad."

********

Everett wished they'd ask him questions. Then he could focus on something other than trying not to scream. He didn't care that his body could mend minor injuries. Vibranium didn't do a damn thing to stop the pain (which these bastards noted). After breaking a few fingers - cracking them first with thumbscrews to get a variety of results, they announced they were moving on to attempt to "jump start the healing properties through extreme stress”. As if he wasn’t already IN extreme stress - SERIOUSLY? What the hell?

He thought he couldn’t be more “stressed” - but he was wrong.

First they tried electric shocks - tasing him until he thought his heart would stop. Then they partially suffocated him - not till he died, of course. Just till he almost wished he would.

********

Okoye and Shuri were able to hack into the traffic cameras and toll monitoring and got lucky. They found the route the van had taken and had narrowed down the area it might have gone to. T'Challa and Shuri coordinated their arrival and started to scan the area. There were a lot of buildings, many unmarked and most big enough to hide a vehicle. Even though it was Saturday, there were plenty of people working in the buildings making it hard to determine their target.

"Shuri, we need to narrow down our target. What can be done?"Shuri racked her brains, almost ready to scream in frustration when inspiration struck, "Vibranium. I don't know if it will work, if there's enough in Everett's system for our instruments to pick up, but we may be able to find trace amounts if we are close enough to the buildings and the construction materials don't interfere with the scanning". She scrambled to readjust the scanners for their target, then uploaded the info to both ships. 

"We will deal with whatever happens.” T’Challa responded grimly. “ Our first concern is Everett. Let's go!"

They dropped down low, scanners at full power, and moved across the buildings to find their friend.

*******

Everett was exhausted, in pain, weak from blood loss. And they weren't done. Unfortunately, they saved one of the worst for last. They were going to water board him. He'd been disgusted when certain members of the CIA condoned it. He'd been scrutinized as a result of his vocal complaints regarding it. He couldn't decide if he should laugh or cry - he didn't have the energy to do either. He could barely move his head to resist when they draped the towel over his nose and mouth. When the water hit, his body fought as hard as it could, until it couldn't. And they'd stop, and start again, and again.

His body strained against the straps as he fought not to choke on the water rushing into his nose and mouth. Suddenly the rush of water stopped. He could hear people moving around him, shouting. He couldn't keep any of it straight. The waterlogged towel was still on his face, restricting his breathing and his vision was starting to grey out. Then he couldn't hear anything anymore.

********

T'Challa thought his friend getting shot was horrible. But it paled in comparison to what he found when he reached the makeshift lab.  The sight of the two men standing over Everett, who was strapped down, struggling for breath, had T'Challa practically ripping the door from its hinges. He raced across the room, grabbed one of the men by the chest and threw him into the other, knocking both of them into the wall where they landed in a heap. T'Challa quickly pulled the wet cloth from Everett's face so he could breathe, and ripped the straps to pieces. 

The Dora stormed in and made short work of the rest of the kidnappers and their computers. Shuri followed behind with medical transport and supplies, drawing in a ragged breath when she saw the evidence of what Everett had gone through. She lost no time working to relieve his pain so they could move him easily.

T'Challa removed his mask and ungloved his hands, reaching out to cradle Everett's head as he spoke,  "Everett, we're here. You’re safe." Everett's eyes fluttered open, and focused on T'Challa and Shuri as if he couldn't believe they were there.

"You found me" he breathed. His voice was barely a whisper.

"Of course we did, and we are taking you home". T'Challa picked Everett up and laid him on the medical transport pad. 

 

They left the building as fast as they could and returned to Wakanda. If it weren't for the need to investigate further, T'Challa would have burned the building to the ground. T'Challa himself informed the CIA of what had transpired. What information they could pull from the site implicated HYDRA; Steve Rogers and Nick Fury were informed immediately. 

 


	3. In Control (mostly)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and repurcussions of Ross's encounter with Hydra.

T'Challa was not a man who hated easily. There was plenty of proof of that - the presence of Bucky Barnes in Wakanda, the fact that Zemo and Klaue were not dead by his hand, the sadness and regret he felt about his cousin N'Jadaka. But he found that he hated Hydra.

As a King, he could no longer ignore the impact this organization had on the world. As a King, he was also well aware that personal feelings were not a good motivator in many things. Hydra had broken Bucky Barnes, had fostered Zemo, and had tortured one of his closest friends. He considered the fact that the issue of taking down Hydra had become a personal matter to be a bonus. T'Challa had spoken briefly with Steve Rogers and Nick Fury. He knew they needed to be made aware of Hydra's activity. He also made it clear that, as far as Hydra was concerned, he was an ally in the fight against them. 

T'Challa had contacted Sharon Carter at the Berlin CIA offices to inform her of the situation. She was Everett's friend, she knew T'Challa, and she had dealt with the mechanizations of Hydra, albeit indirectly, in the incident with Zemo. He let her know that if needed, he would use his position as King of Wakanda to cushion any resistance to Everett being brought to Wakanda for care.  With the blossoming relationship Wakanda was building with the US and the world, he pushed hard to spin the positives of mutual cooperation where Hydra was concerned.  Sharon promised to do what she could and contact him if there were any issues.

    

Worry and rage fought in T'Challa for dominance as he watched Shuri working diligently to stabilize Everett as they sped back to the medical facility in Wakanda. He was a warrior, and no stranger to violence or injury. But torture - the warrior in him was disturbed on so many levels by what had been done to his friend - out of a horrifying mixture of curiosity, arrogance and greed. 

"Brother", Shuri called, pulling T'Challa out of his thoughts, "Everett is stable for now. He has lost a lot of blood, has multiple fractured fingers, lacerations and burns over most of his body. I've done what I can to begin the healing process for them. I will know more about internal damage once we are able to run more thorough scans and tests, and we will have to be vigilant as he may develop pneumonia." She tried to keep a professional attitude, but she couldn't stop the tears that came to her eyes or the tremble in her voice-a mixture of anger and sadness mirroring her brother's.  

"Thank you, Shuri. For all of your help. Without you, we may not have found him in time." T'Challa reached out a hand and pulled her gently to face him. "Rest now, if you can.  We will be home soon". Shuri nodded, made some adjustments to the equipment scanning and maintaining Everett's pain relief and other support functions. She sat with her brother, resting her head on his shoulder,  still keeping her attention on her favorite 'colonizer' as they sped towards home.  


	4. In a state of confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everett wakes up.

Everett floated in a sea of grey for a long time before he woke up enough to think at least somewhat coherently.  Almost immediately, he kinda wished he hadn't.  

"Shit!" Everything fucking hurt.  WHY did everything hurt?

Then it all came back in a rush and he sat up, gasping great gulps of air, dizzy from...

"Panic? WTF?!?  I was an Air Force pilot,  I'm a CIA agent! I DON'T panic!" ... but when he felt like he was about to hyperventilate, he thought "Jesus, apparently I do. Dammit!"

He had to lay back down and close his eyes, try to get his breathing under control. He recognized where he was - the medical center in Wakanda. He'd spent some time here recovering from injuries from the lab explosion. He could hear the monitors beeping, feel the IV port in his hand and the echoes of pain all over. His chest felt tight and his throat was sore. He was pretty sure the only part of him that didn't hurt was maybe his earlobes. Ow, ow, ow, not good at all.  But he had to admit, a whole lot better than dead.

He heard the sound of footsteps entering his room and opened his eyes enough to see a man and a woman approach his bedside. He didn't recognize them, but he knew he was safe where he was, and was able to relax a bit now that he had his bearings.

"Agent Ross, it's so good to see you awake!" the man exclaimed, "Apologies that you were alone when you woke. We were asked to assist with another patient and it took longer than expected. I'm Dr. Khukulu and my associate is Dr. Selekile." He clasped Everett's shoulder briefly and lightly as the Dr. Selekile reviewed his vitals. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore pretty much everywhere. And my chest feels tight, throat hurts". Geeze he was tired, and he'd barely said ten words.

"You're recovering from a particularly nasty bout of pneumonia, in addition to the injuries you sustained," Dr. Selekile spoke, and her voice was quite soothing. "Princess Shuri did a wonderful job stabilizing you. You've been our patient for about a week, and spent part of that time on a ventilator."

Everett's eyebrows raised in surprise, "A week?!?" he started to get up, moving a lot slower than he expected to, or wanted to for that matter. Dr. Khukulu eased him back down - it didn't take much strength, a sign to Everett that he was in pretty bad shape.

"Do not worry, Agent Ross," Dr. Khukulu reassured him, "King T'Challa told us to inform you that your superiors were notified of your condition and that care would be provided for you here until you are fully recovered." The doctor sounded quite pleased with his King, apparently familiar with people whose work ethic made them difficult patients. "You are recovering nicely, but will need additional care and therapy as you recover from the pneumonia and the injuries you sustained. The King has requested you be moved to the palace when you are able to be discharged, and your therapy will continue there, if you find that satisfactory." Everett nodded, a bit dazed. "We will keep you for observation through tomorrow, and if all goes well, you'll be on your way."

"Okay, um... that sounds fine".Everett didn't know what else to say. It was just too much to process at once. The doctors finished their check-up and left him to his thoughts. To say they were jumbled was an understatement. Everett was somewhat surprised - about a lot of things. He'd been injured enough on the job to notice the difference between being treated as a patient and being treated as a Patient of Importance... it was, let's face it, nice - but it was weird (good weird, but still weird).

And in a couple of days, he was being discharged to the PALACE? How did he rate that?!?  He knew he'd helped some, the last time he was in Wakanda. How could he not help them? T'challa had risked a lot for him, as had Nakia. Shuri had helped him, healed him. Everett was helping a friend and his family. He was protecting people - that was his job.  That wasn't anything special. 

Everett's thoughts drifted back to that god-awful lab and he could feel his heart rate increase.  He realized that he vaguely remembered T'Challa and Shuri -  he'd actually thought he'd imagined them since no one knew he'd been taken. He truly thought he was going to die, and no one would have known how or where.  Obviously they'd found him but HOW had they managed to find him? How had they even known to LOOK for him? 

He felt a surge of emotion, a mixture of so many things he couldn't identify - it was good; it was overwhelming; it was an antidote for the panic and he was able to fall asleep.

 


	5. In a not good place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuri is a good friend to Everett.

T'Challa was pleased that Everett was getting his strength back and had completely recovered from the pneumonia. It had been a shock to see him so weak. Shuri was keeping Everett on his toes, engaging him in her inventions and experiments and occasionally using him as a test subject, which he seemed to find amusing. Shuri enjoyed the attention, and took it upon herself to instruct him when he showed aptitude. Every few days she would visit with T'Challa and regale him with their exploits. She usually couldn't contain her merriment, but today she was uncharacteristically pensive.

"Brother, I would like to do something for Everett but I need your permission before I ask him."

"What is it Shuri?" he was not used to seeing her so subdued.

"If you agree, and if he allows it, I would like for him to have a dermal sensor link like yours."

T'Challa paused briefly, gathering his thoughts. "For his safety; to monitor his health?"

She nodded, "also upgraded with GPS capabilities. Which I will add to yours, of course." She quirked a smile. 

"Go ahead and ask him; if he wishes it, make it so." Shuri headed off to find Everett, satisfied that her concerns were addressed, and pleased that her brother shared them.

****

"So this thing isn't going to go off if I'm watching a really scary movie or go for a jog, or out on a hot date, right?" Everett ran a finger over the white ink tattoo just behind his ear under the hairline.

Shuri laughed, "NO, of course not!" she pressed a few buttons on her medi-pad and used her kimoyo beads to synchronize everything. "Ordinary activities or exertions won't register. We can test if it you like. How about a run through the gardens if you feel up to it?"

"Sounds good. I'll go change - meet you there?" Everett hopped off the medical bed and they both headed off to change. A short time later they found each other outside the palace doors leading into the expansive gardens behind the palace. Everett hadn't had much of a chance to explore the grounds around the palace, so he was looking forward to his run with Shuri. And he REALLY wanted to get back into shape. They stretched a bit before Shuri asked if Everett was ready, "Lead the way, Princess!" he replied.  She chuckled and they were off.

The gardens were a feast for the senses. The paths were covered in fine gravel of different color stones, weaving in and out between bushes and trees. Some paths led to mazes, others to cul-de-sacs with areas to sit and rest and enjoy the smells and sounds of the garden. Shuri led Everett around the gardens on a wider path that curved gently and made running easier. Everett enjoyed the feeling of the ground under his feet, his muscles warming up, his heart pumping strongly. He REALLY hated being sick; recovering seemed to take forever. To finally be getting more physically active was a relief. Every once in a while he'd put on a burst of speed and pass Shuri, then they'd take turns overtaking each other before running in rhythm again. 

Everett shot passed Shuri again, putting a respectable distance between them before setting into a comfortable pace as he rounded a curve into another area of the gardens. Here, a waterfall and small pond had been created as a resting area; it was shaded and welcoming so he slowed down and jogged in place to wait for Shuri. He was feeling great.... and then suddenly the world spun and tilted!

"Oh god!" he gasped "Oh shit". He couldn't breathe! His heart was pounding... there was so much water... but there wasn't, he knew that, but he couldn't get enough air and jesus his chest hurt! Everett's legs gave out and he fell to his knees, almost collapsing, falling forward as he tried to breathe...

**

Shuri laughed as Everett burst past her... again! She was glad she'd suggested the run. He was having fun, she was having fun AND testing the sensors - win/win/win!  She slowed her pace a bit and pressed one of her kimoyo beads to get a quick report on his vital signs. Everything looked good - Everett was in better shape than she expected. She watched him disappear around a bend a bit of a ways in front of her, and was just getting ready to speed up to catch up with him when her bracelet lit up red and let off an alarm tone. 

She tore down the path, and found Everett half collapsed, down on his knees, head on his forearms, his breathing quick and shallow. She chacked his vitals - his heart rate, breathing rate were up but she could see no immediate physical cause.  "Everett, it's Shuri. Can you hear me?" he nodded, still breathing alarmingly fast. Everett's eyes were squeezed shut, and he was almost curled up in a ball. "I'm here, I'll help you. Can you tell me what's going on?"

He struggled to answer, "can't breathe.... water... can't ..." he gasped. He was shaking so hard he felt like he was going to come apart.

Shuri was pretty sure she understood  what was happening so she spoke quietly and calmly, "Everett, I'm here. You're safe in the palace gardens.  Breathe with me - in through your nose, out through your mouth, slowly." She breathed with him, giving him something to concentrate on. After a few minutes his vitals started to improve, but not enough. She spoke again, "I think you're having a panic attack and that the waterfall may have triggered it. Let's move away from this place. Do you think you can stand? I'll help you."

Everett nodded, still fighting to catch his breath. He reached out to Shuri and she helped him find his balance and move quickly and carefully out of earshot of the falls.  He didn't let go of her hand until they found a place to rest. Then he suddenly withdrew it, as if embarrassed, sitting with his head in his hands. Shuri could see the tension in his shoulders.

"Everett." She paused, then gently laid a hand on his arm, "Everett, don't hide from this. There is no shame in feeling fear - it is there for a reason. Even if the reason doesn't make sense."

Everett looked up at Shuri as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was exhausted, AND embarrassed, and freaked out. He'd been shot at, beat up, hospitalized - heck MULTIPLE times in his career and nothing like this had happened before. "I...." his voice hitched in his throat, "I don't know what to do". Man, he HATED to be this vulnerable!

"Accept help to get through this," She replied, sounding older than her years, "that's all.  And talk to my brother, and Nakia. You're not alone, you know." She smiled warmly at him. He managed to give her a shadow of a smile back. Then she stood up and held out her hands to him, and after a moment he took them and gave them a squeeze as he pulled himself up. They walked together back to the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research re. reactions to torture/panic attacks and I hope they're ok. Feedback to make the portrayal is appreciated (please be gentle!). Thanks!


	6. In Good Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nakia offers understanding and comfort. 
> 
> (Expanded from a portion of Ch.4 of Over Time https://archiveofourown.org/works/14381031?view_full_work=true )

Nakia had been training staff at Outreach centers abroad when she learned of Everett's torture, and she immediately took a few days to return to Wakanda to find out what had happened. She'd had her share of close calls and a few more-than-close ones during her time as a War Dog. Nakia was no stranger to violence, but inflicting pain for it's own sake - she wasn't sure what to do with the emotions generated by that. Nakia met with T'Challa and got as much information as he had about the abduction. She may no longer be a War Dog, but she still had active contacts that could prove useful against this Hydra organization. A threat to Wakanda's friends meant a threat to Wakanda. She would not stand for either.   

Everett hadn't fully regained consciousness before she had to return to the Outreach centers, so she asked Shuri to let her know how he was doing and when he was released to the palace to finish his recovery. She knew from personal experience that he'd be dealing with a lot more than just physical healing. She and T'Challa both knew what havoc such a shock could cause a person, and she wasn't going to leave either of them alone to deal with it if she could help it.

*******

Everett was relieved when Shuri kicked him out of the infirmary. Physically he felt pretty decent. But he hadn't been sleeping well and now he had panic attacks to deal with. Rationally he knew he shouldn't be surprised by them, that he shouldn't be embarrassed - but he was. The gunshot/explosion/torture were coiled up in a mass of pain and fear in his dreams, making sleep difficult - which really wasn't helping his recovery. He was exhausted, angry, stressed, at loose ends and pissed at himself for not managing all of it better. Shuri could only do so much - her technology kept track of his recovery, but it could only fix injuries, not repurcussions.

After another night of waking up gasping for air and having phantom pain push sleep further away, Everett was sick of tossing and turning, and trying fruitlessly to fall back to sleep. He put on his robe and walked the gardens. Sometimes he was able to sleep afterwards - worst case scenario, it was relaxing and beautiful. He needed help to deal with this; he knew that, but it was so hard to admit it and take that step. 

**

Shuri kept her promise and kept Nakia in the loop about Everett, and she was pleased to hear his injuries were healing quickly.  She'd just returned from one of her international visits, and her body was stuck in another time zone, so she decided to head to her office to work for a while. Just as she finished the last of her paperwork, she looked out her window and saw Everett in the gardens. There was something about his body language that communicated his distress - she could see it in his posture from across the courtyard. 

Nakia closed her office and made her way outside; she found him lying on a bench looking at the stars. He looked a bit lost and, without thinking about it, she brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "It's hard, sometimes." she said quietly. She's been a spy, she knows. Everett nodded, his eyes closed and breathing ragged with emotion. Nakia lowered herself down on the bench and placed his head in her lap. They sat together in silence for a while before she walked with him back to his room. She curled herself around him until he settled into sleep, combing her fingers lightly through his hair as if he were a child.  Before heading back to her own rooms, she sends T'Challa a brief message, not wishing to wake him, but not wanting to wait ... "he'll need your help".  She knows her King's heart where those he cares about are concerned.


	7. Among Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> T'Challa offers Everett something valuable.

Everett spoke with T'Challa (Nakia had given him a nudge), and T'Challa had arranged for additional support for his friend to help him deal with fallout from his abduction and torture. He also made a point to spend time with Everett and share his own stories. T'Challa had dealt with trauma himself - most recently the death of his father and his own brush with death. He knew the toll such a thing could take on a person and it pleased him to be able to provide a safe place for Everett to recover. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last forever; not anywhere close to what he would consider appropriate to a full recovery.

T'Challa  also was aware that Everett would be returning to work at the CIA in a department under the influence of General Ross - which was of significant concern to the King. T'Challa remembered Everett's handling of the issues of the bombing that killed his father, the revelation that he was Black Panther, the situation with the Winter Soldier, and the disfunctionality of the Sekovia Accords. Everett had done his job, done it well, and when it had become clear that James Barnes had been framed, he acted on THAT information to bring justice to the guilty party, unlike General Ross who seemed to ignore the facts and continued what appeared to be a vendetta against several of the Avengers. 

T'Challa could see conflict between Everett's ethics the General's lack of same becoming unavoidable and, considering the man's pursuit of Bruce Banner (thank you Shuri for digging that information up), potentially dangerous. T'Challa had some ideas about how to remove that threat, but they hinged on Everett making a life-altering choice. He sincerely hoped he understood his friend as well as he thought he did.

 

*****

Everett felt as if a weight was gradually being lifted from his shoulders. The level of care he was receiving in Wakanda for the psychological impact of his assault was comprehensive and impressive. Progress was slow, but it was measurable. He could see a light at the end of the tunnel and was looking forward to resuming a regular work load. He had some time left on medical leave, but that wouldn't last forever. He had a job to return to... but he wasn't sure about it - not in a capacity where interaction with General Ross occurred with any frequency. Making a positive difference in the world was a core value for him. It seemed as though his current career situation was taking him away from that. He had some ideas, a lot of contacts, and a strong background and was seriously considering transferring his skills to the private sector. He'd seen too much to think non-globally - resigning his position was the next logical step. Change is never easy, but almost always necessary.  He was heading for some big ones. He chuckled to himself - it seemed like his new personal life creed was becoming "exciting and a bit terrifying". He decided to talk with T'Challa to get his input, especially since the global landscape was changing as Wakanda became more active internationally.

*****

T'Challa was very pleased when Everett requested a meeting with him. He had spoken with the Tribal Council, as well Nakia, his mother, and Okoye regarding his idea, and while there was not 100% agreement on the matter, he had enough support to implement it - as long as the key player was in agreement. It was Everett himself who had planted the seed ... "What you guys have is gonna scare a lot of people in that room. I'll do my best to keep them off your back."

Wakanda's re-introduction to the world needed to be focused on building bridges. Unfortunately, having remained separate from the world for so long put them at a disadvantage in terms of predicting and interpreting how other countries would respond. Wakanda needed someone who cared for and respected it, who also understood and could successfully navigate the mechanizations of global politics. Everett was a man of integrity. He had protected Wakanda at risk to his own life - more than once. He _continued_ to protect it on the political stage as much as his position allowed.

T'Challa entered the library and found Everett at the far end, looking out over the city. Everett tended to wear a mix of American and Wakandan clothes for comfort, but today he wore only Wakandan clothing. He'd chosen a semi-formal blue & silver dashiki that was quite striking and, considering the nature of their conversation, particularly fitting.

"Everett", T'Challa reached out his hand to greet his friend.

"Majesty", Everett replied. T'Challa raised his eyebrow at the formality. Everett smiled, "T'Challa. Thank you for meeting with me."

"It is my pleasure, Everett. Had you not requested a meeting, I would have done so myself." Everett tilted his head, a look of mild confusion on his face. "Do not worry, it is not urgent. I want to hear what you need to speak of first."

Everett took a deep breath and cleared his throat as he looked out at the city. "I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. The last few weeks have been hard, but your support, and the support of Shuri and Nakia..." he turned to look at T'Challa, "it made a difference." T'Challa nodded; Everett continued, "My medical leave with the CIA is ending soon, and... I've decided to resign my position." T'Challa's eyebrows rose.

"What do you plan to do?" T'Challa asked, inwardly pleased, but outwardly showing only curiousity.

"So much has changed, for the world... for me personally... I believe my skills and experience would serve better in a different capacity. I have enough contacts and experience - I plan on leveraging those to find a position where I can make a difference."

"I expect no less from you, Everett." he paused, "and it seems our minds were thinking along the same path." T'Challa smiled, pausing to let the silence grow. He enjoyed watching the wheels turn as Everett considered what T'Challa had said.

"You mentioned you'd wanted to speak to me as well", Everett replied, curiousity and a bit of excitement colored his expression, "I'm assuming it's something I can assist you with..."

"I would like you to be a part of the Wakandan Delegation to the United Nations, as well as an International Political Advisor to the Wakandan Tribal Council". 

Everett's eyebrows became one with his hairline and he had to fight not to let his jaw drop to his shoes. T'Challa smiled. "You said it yourself, your skills and experience can make a difference. I'd like them to be used to benefit Wakanda. Your experience is a bridge to the world. You've proven yourself as a protector of Wakanda and the Royal Family." He paused. "I'm more than happy to give you the time you need to consider this offer. I'm sure you have..."

"Yes!" Everett interrupted. He managed to keep a serious face for about 2 seconds before a huge smile burst through. "Yes, your majesty. I accept". He bowed, the smile still on his face.

"Good", T'Challa reached out his hand to his friend. Everett shook it. "Very good. We have a lot of work to do". And T'Challa knew, with the people he could trust at his side, it could be done.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A source map of the Palace (http://thedorkreview.blogspot.com/2011/05/central-wakanda-palace-royal.html)
> 
> I picture Everett wearing something like this during the meeting: https://www.etsy.com/dk-en/listing/491521226/african-mens-clothing-dashikiwedding
> 
> I was inspired by the fic "Strange Bedfellows", and the comic history of Ross being a trusted friend/advisor to T'Challa. https://archiveofourown.org/works/13731606/chapters/31548642

**Author's Note:**

> Discovered this great nugget of a deleted scene on YouTube. Everett/T’Challa friendship. Enjoy!  
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jsOun4fQ0PM


End file.
